Border-fabric-strip guide for sewing machines



May 5, 1925. 1,536,517

w. OLDFIELD BORDER FABRIC STRIP GUIDE FOR SEWING IACHINES Filed NOV. 29,1921 r 2 Sheets-Sheet l w Z 610 a; 3

. INVENTOR wnmzssgi. Willia bydfieid ATTORNEY May 5, 1925.

um: m'anzc smzr aums'ron sumo menus Filed Nov. 29, 921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2I, mVENTdR i "E a w X Willizm Oldli'elci ATTORNEY Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM OLDFIELD, OF PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER MANU-FACTURING COMPANY, OF E IZABET JERSEY, A C RP RATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BORDER-FABRIC-STRIP GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

Application filed. November 29, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM OLDFIELD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Passaic, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Border-Fabric-Strip Guides for Sewing Machines, of which. the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawlngs.

This invention relates to improvements in border-fabric strip-guidingattachments for sewing machines and particularly in the class of sewingmachine attachments as disclosed in the U. S. Patent to A. Laubscher,No. 741,682, October 20, 1903, which are designed more especially todouble and infold the margins of a border-fabricv strip and to guide anedge of a body-fabric between the inturned margins of the doubledborder-fabric, as, for example, in the manufacture of handkerchiefshaving colored borders secured thereto by a hemstitch seam.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an attachment of thischaracter, permitting more ready insertion of the work therein;permitting more perfect control of the layers of the doubled strip tooffset a possibly distorting action of the sewing machine feed-dog andpresser-foot thereupon; affording a substantially continuous support andguiding passage for the extremely thin and flexible border-fabric strip;and permitting ready detachment of the individual folding and guidingelements for replace ment by others to accommodate different classes ofwork, all with the aim of producing more perfect work at less cost ofmanufacture by reason of the greater facility of handling the same. i

The present improved attachment essentially comprises spaced upper andlower edge-turning scrolls carried by substantial." 1y parallelsupporting plates sustained by a P suitable base. Detachably secured inposition intermediate the supporting plates in a manner affordingpreliminary edge-guides for a border-fabric strip is a central-foldforming member comprising a substantially U-shaped tongue having itsfree edges projecting Within said scrolls. Coacting with only a portionof the length of the U-shaped tongue is a curved backinguide of whichthe free edges terminate close y adjacent the Serial 1%. 518,557.

parallel supporting plates, whereby a guiding passage is provided bysaid tongue, supporting plates and backing-guide affording a continuoussupport for the border-fabric strip. Inasmuch as the tongue extends theentire length of the attachment the borderstrip slides very readilyalong said tongue and is at all times supported thereby, while theprojection of the free edges of the tongue within the edge-turningscrolls obviates all unnecessary distortion of the strip in folding themargins thereof. The curved backing-guide is supported by said base in amanner permitting ready adjustment of this guide with respect to thetongue for accommodation of difl'erent classes of work.

Carried by the U-shaped tongue at its delivery end is a body-fabricedge-guide positioned in spaced relation with respect to the curvedportion of the tongue, whereby a margin of a body-fabric may enter onlya limited extent within the doubled borderfabric strip, i. e.,substantially the extent of inturning ofv the edges of the latter strip.The projection of the tongue beyond the front end of the curvedbacking-guide enables an operator to properly control the feed of thestrip by slight pressure upon the portions of the strip overlying theprojecting tongue.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a sewingmachine attachment embodying the present improvement. Fig. 2 is a frontside elevation, partly in section, of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectionalview substantially 011 the line wm of Fig. 1.

. Fig. 4c is an enlarged sectional view substantially on the line g t ofFig. 1. Figs- 5, 6, 7, ,8 and 9 comprise perspective views of thecomponent strip-supporting and guid ing elements-to better illustratetheir individual construction.

Referring to the drawings, the present improved attachment, in itspreferred embodiment has a base-plate 1, which may be secured inposition upon a sewing machine and upon which is secured a bracket 2carrying a vertically adjustable auxiliary bracket 3. For conveniencethese parts are hereinafter termed collectively the attachmentbase.

Secured upon the base by screws, as 4:, is the shank 5 of asupporting-plate 6 of an upper edge-turning scroll '3'. Likewise securedby the screws 4; is the offset shank 8 of a supporting-plate 9 of alower edgeturning scroll 10. The supporting-plates 6 and 9 aresubstantially parallel and are preferably each provided with astrengthening rib 11. The scrolls 7 and 10 are positioned in substantialvertical alinement and are spaced from each other a. sufficient distanceto permit ready entrance therebetween of the margin of a body-fabric.

The upper supporting-plate 6 is provided intermediate its ends with anextension 12 and the lower supporting-plate with an extension 13, bothof these extensions projecting beyond the edge-turning scrolls. Securedbetween the extensions 12 and 13, by means of upper screws, as 1 1, andlower screws, as 15, are spacing blocks, as 16, pro vided upon lateralears, as 17, of a centralfold forming member. This member consists of asubstantially U-shaped tongue 18 positioned intermediate thesupportingplates 6 and 9 and having its free edges, as 19,projectingwithin the edge-turning scrolls 7 and 10. The free edges ofthe tongue 18 coact with the scrolls in folding the margins of theborder-fabric strip and inasmuch as the latter strip overlies the tongue18 throughout its entire extent, a clear passage is provided readilypermitting sliding movement of the strip without unnecessary distortionbut nevertheless supporting the strip at all points. The inner surfacesof the spacing blocks 16 are in substantial. alinen'ient with theedge-turning scrolls and serve as preliminary edge-guides for the strip.lVhen it. is desired to attach a wider border fabric strip than thetongue 18 is capable of handling, said tongue may be readily detachedand replaced by one having the requisite dimensions.

Near its delivery end, the inner curved surface of the tongue 18 mergesinto an edge-guiding surface 20 for a body-fabric, which surface 20tapers away from the said inner curved surface of the tongue toward thedelivery end thereof whereby an edge of a body-fabric may be guidedbetween the doubled border-fabric strip, but is delivered as extendingtherebetween only a limited degree, preferably the extent of inturningof the edges of the strip.

Adjust-ably secured upon the base by means of a screw 21 is the shank 22of a curved backing-guide 23. This backingguide is adjustably spacedfrom the tongue 18 and its free edges contact with the upper and lowerscroll-supporting plates 6 and 9, thereby preventing improper movementof the strip. At its front end, the lower member of the backing-guide isprovided with a flaring portion 24 for supporting the lower fold of thedoubled strip to insure its ready passage over the lowersupporting-plate 9. The tongue 18 projects forwardly beyond thebacking-guide, and by reason of its substantially parallel surfaces, anoperator may readily control the feed of the doubled layers of the stripby slight pressure of the fingers.

A body-fabric supporting apron 25 is provided with a rib 26 havingthreaded apertures entered by securing screws, as 27, by means of whichthe apron is detachably secured upon the extension 13 of the lowersupporting-plate 9. The apron 25 is substantially in alineme'n'twith thelower member of the U-shaped tongue 18 and performs its usual function.v

. Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis 1. A border-fabric strip-guiding attachment for sewing machines,con'iprising a pair of spaced edge-folding scrolls, scroll-supportingplates, a central-fold forming member comprising a substantiallyU-shaped tongue having its free edges projecting within said scrolls, abacking-guide coacting with said tongue and with said scroll-su'iporting plates to afford a substantially continuous guiding passagefor a border-fabric strip, and supporting means for said backingguidepermitting adjustn'ient of the latter relatively to said tongue,

2. A border-fabric strip-guiding attachment for sewing machines,comprisinga pair of spaced edge-folding scrolls, scrollsupportingplates, a central-fold forming member comprising a substantiallyU-shaped tongue having its free edges projecting within said scrolls, abacking-guide coacting with said tongue and with said scroll-supportingplates to afford a substantially continuous guiding passage for aborder-fabric strip, supporting means for said backing-guide permittingadjustment of the latter relative to said tongue, and a body-fabric edgeguide.

3. A border-fabric strip-guiding attach-- me'nt for sewing machinescomprising upper and lower edge-folding scrolls, scroll-supportingplates, a central-fold forming member detachably secured to said platesin advance of said scrolls con'iprising a substantially. parallel walledU-shaped tongue having its free edges projecting within said scrolls, abacking-guide coacting with said tongue and with said scroll-supportingplates to afford 'a substantially continuous guiding passage foraborder-falnic strip. and a body-fabric edge-guide 'iositioned at thedelivery end of said tongue in spaced rc lation with respect to thecentral-fold delining portion thereof and merging into the inner surfaceof said tongue intermediate the ends thereof.

4. In a border-fabric strip-guiding attachment for sewing machines, thecombination with upper and lower edge-turning scrolls, andsupporting-plates for said scrolls, of a ltlfi eentral-fold formingmember detachably secured upon one of said supporting-plates in advanceof said scrolls and comprising asubstantially parallel Walled U-sl1apedtongue having its tree edges projecting within said scrolls, and abacking-guide coacting with said tongue and with said scroll-sup portingplates to afford a substantially continuous guiding passage for aborder-fabric strip.

5. In a border-fabric stripguiding attachment for sewing machines, thecombination with upper and, lower edge-turning scrolls, andsupporting-plates for said scrolls, of a eentratt'old forming memberdetachably secured to and sustained intern'iediate said sup portingplates, said member comprising a substantially U-shaped tongue havingits free edges projecting within said scrolls, abacking-guide coactingwith said tongue, and means for supporting said backing-guide foradjustment with respect to said tongue.

6. In a border-1tab1ic strip-guiding attachment for sewing machines, thecombination with upper and lower edge-turning scrolls, andscroll-supporting means, of a centralfold forming member comprising asubstantially parallel walled U-shaped tongue having its free edgesprojecting within said scrolls, and supporting means in advance of saidscrolls for said member affording preliminary edge-guides tor aborder-fabric strip.

7. A border-fabric strip-guiding attachment for sewing machinescomprising a base, upper and lower edge-turning scrolls,scrollsupporting plates sustained by said base, a U-shaped tonguedeta'chably supported with respect to and having its free endsprojecting within said scrolls, and a curved backingguide coacting withsaid tongue and supported by said base for adjustment with respect tosaid tongue,

8. A bordentabrie strip-guidii'ig attachment for sewing machinescomprising a base, upper and lower edge-turning scrolls,scrollsupporting plates sustained by said base, a Ushaped tonguedetachably supported wi h respect to and'having its free ends projectingwithin said scrolls, a curved backing-guide coacting with said tongueand supported by said base for adjusti'nent with respect to said tongue,a body-fabric supporting apron sustained by one of the scroll-supportingplates, and a body-fabric edge-guide positioned in spaced relation withrespect to the curved portion of said U-shaped tongue.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

lVILLIAM OLDFIELD.

